Two Hearts for One
by LittleHobbit13
Summary: Tsukushi needs a heart transplant! They’re having trouble finding a suitable heart, and the future is seriously cloudy. Romantic comedy and angst. Read to see how this plays out! Please review!
1. The Beginning of Hardship

Disclaimer: I make no claim of ownership over the Hana Yori Dango series/manga.

Story Summary: Tsukushi needs a heart transplant! They're having trouble finding a suitable heart, and the future is seriously cloudy. Read to see how this plays out!

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**Chapter One: The Beginning of Hardship**

It started as a normal day.

She had a big breakfast at home, explaining to her concerned mother that it was necessary to sustain her 'weed' power. It was a quiet walk to school; she was beaming with confidence. Kazuya joined her at the school gates after exiting his still gaudy car. She was thankful for Kazuya. She and Makiko were still good friends, but she didn't want her friend to get in trouble because the F4 were troubling her. Yes, Kazuya provided Tsukushi with a port of haven throughout the day. Tsukushi had always felt bad that Kazuya received a red tag simply for being an old friend. Sure, she knew now that Tsukasa Domyoji had done it out of jealousy at seeing her with another boy, but back then it had only been her friend's first day of school. He had known nothing of Domyoji or the F4, or of Tsukushi's own red tag. She had been so angry with Domyoji. If only she had worked harder to keep him away, but she had been overcome by the selfish need for a companion in her hell-on-earth days. Oh well, too late to change the past.

Ahead of them, Tsukushi saw Sakurako's doll-like face. She was talking to another girl while walking inside. Sakurako was still a slight mystery to Tsukushi. First she had seemed innocent. The next moment she was competing unnecessarily with Tsukushi for Domyoji's attention. She could have it for all Tsukushi cared! Then there was an incident, and suddenly she was acting the angelic doll towards Tsukushi again. Headaches ran rampant when that girl was involved. Sakurako caught Tsukushi's eye and waved sweetly back. Tsukushi and Kazuya talked on the way inside, and then parted ways to go to their lockers.

"Good morning, Makino," a voice said acidly. Tsukushi turned to find Asai and her group of friends standing nearby. "We saw you walking in with your clumsy boyfriend. Shouldn't you stick with your poor people friends and stop hanging on Domyoji?"

"And shouldn't you be hunting for men you actually have a chance of catching?" retorted Tsukushi.

"Oh! Well I never!" Asai walked off in a huff, followed closely by her friends. Tormenting the increasingly idiotic Asai was one reason school was still worth going to. Glancing at the clock, Tsukushi noted that there was plenty of time left before classes began. She hurried off to the emergency stair well. Slightly out of breath, she pushed open the door leading outside. There was Rui Hanazawa. Because none of the F4 attended classes, she often found Rui hanging around her. They had formed an Emergency Stairwell Friendship.

"Good morning to you, Hanazawa Rui!" Tsukushi sat down on the top step, above where Rui was seated. He made a sound back at her that she knew to take as a replied "Hello." Sometimes they talked. Sometimes they just sat in a comfortable silence. More often than not it was the former because of Tsukushi's school girl crush on Rui. Today they talked (well, mostly Tsukushi talked) on random topics. After awhile, realizing how long she had been there, Tsukushi stood to leave.

"Hey." Tsukushi turned back around.

"Yes?" she answered.

"You look pale." Tsukushi felt like driving her head against the wall. It was so rare that Rui willingly spoke, especially unprompted; she thought it was going to be something more important than how she looked.

"Oh. Thank you. I have to get to class now. Bye bye." She left and went to her classroom. As usual, the classes were somewhat boring. At least, they were compared to the interesting mini-society of Eitoku Gakuen. Lunch came and went. Tsukushi was roped in to drinking tea and eating rich snacks with Nishikado and Mimasaka. They did the usual and talked about girls they were currently with and girls they had their eyes on. Tsukushi could never say that she approved of their habits: Nishikado was a huge playboy and Mimasaka only dated older, sometimes married, women. Usually she would try to join in the conversation and steer it somewhere more general, but today she kept quiet. She felt tired.

"Hey! Tsukasa, come join us!" Nishikado suddenly called. Tsukushi looked up as Domyoji approached. He sat down next to her. Domyoji was the only member of the F4 with whom the silence was 99 of the time an uncomfortable one. Too much had happened between them for conversation to come naturally. Feeling awkward Tsukushi felt a faint blush creep into her face. From the way Nishikado and Mimasaka were starting to poke fun, she could only assume that her face wasn't the only red one in the group. Sneaking a glance out of the corner of her eye, she saw that Domyoji was slowly turning a red that could match the shirt color of his non-uniform outfit.

"Ahem." Domyoji cleared his throat in a not-so-subtle way. It was one of the ways that he singled his friends to shut up whenever there was something he wanted to say. "Makino, why don't we go out someplace this weekend?" Ah, there is was. Tsukushi suspected that was why he seemed so tense. He spent a lot of energy chasing after her attention. There were times when he seemed just like a little child looking for praise from his parents. Well, not _his_ parents, at least. Tsukushi hadn't yet met his father, but his mother was the strictest mother she had ever met. She knew that Domyoji gave her opinions of him little or no thought.

"Um. I don't know," she answered. "I have to work, you know." It was a stupid excuse. Sure, she worked to help support her poor family, but if her parents heard this offer they'd probably offer to work for her if that's what it took to get her out with Domyoji. She just hated being alone with Domyoji. He was definitely nice enough, when he wasn't being a pompous and egotistical jerk, but she wasn't sure how she felt about him. There was definitely something there in her heart for him, but that same heart held a place for Rui, too. How was she to know who to choose? She sometimes felt so angry with Domyoji. He figured out what he wanted so easily, but couldn't seem to realize how hard it was for her!

"I'll pay you, if you want." Tsukushi inwardly grinned at Nishikado and Mimasaka's reactions. They both groaned and smacked their foreheads. They both hated that their friend and leader was so inept at dealing with women!

"There you go throwing your money around again! How many times do I have to tell you that I don't care about your money!" shouted Tsukushi. She stood up and grabbed her bag.

"We'll go to a restaurant or something. You look pale; you're obviously not eating well enough on that poor people food! Stop being stubborn!" replied Domyoji, angrily.

"I'm not going anywhere with you! And so what if I look pale!" Tsukushi kicked at Domyoji and stalked away. What nerve! The rest of the day seemed to pass in a blur after that. Every time she thought about it she felt her heart start to race. At the end of the day, after dodging around Kazuya with a quick excuse, she headed for the school gate to leave. Nishikado and Mimasaka suddenly appeared on her sides.

"Makino, we've talked, and we feel that you should think harder about Tsukasa's request," started Nishikado.

"I know his mother doesn't approve of you, but if you were to get together with him, it would be a great opportunity for someone like you," added Mimasaka. Tsukushi's anger swelled and she felt her heart start to race again. Only…now it was slightly painful. Her breath caught in her throat.

"Hey, are you okay?" asked Mimasaka. "You don't look so good."

"I'm fine," said Tsukushi. It was a lie. Her head felt light, and she was having trouble breathing.

"Are you sure?" persisted Nishikado.

"Yeah, I'm…" Tsukushi never finished the sentence. She stumbled and collapsed on the ground.

"Makino!" Nishikado and Mimasaka quickly knelt down to check her. Nishikado jumped back up and raced back into the school.

"Tsukasa!"

-End of Chapter One-

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Okay, everyone! This is the end of chapter one! I hope you enjoyed it. I'm suspecting right now that this will probably be somewhere between 5-10 chapters. Just to let you all know, I'm a sophomore in college, so if you don't see an update as soon as you'd like, it's probably because I've gotten bogged down with work.

I hope you'll leave a review if you have some time.


	2. Give It to Me Straight, Doc

Disclaimer: I make no claim of ownership over the Hana Yori Dango series/manga.

Story Summary: Tsukushi needs a heart transplant! They're having trouble finding a suitable heart, and the future is seriously cloudy. Read to see how this plays out!

**

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**

Chapter Two: Give It to Me Straight, Doc

Eye lids fluttered. Heart rate increased. Slowly Tsukushi opened her eyes to the world. A white ceiling glared down at her. Her whole body felt stiff. She groaned quietly.

"She's awake!" Suddenly Yuki and Kazuya were leaning over her. She didn't know what was going on yet, but it was a comfort to have her best friends around.

"What's going on?" Tsukushi managed to croak out. Her head was still very fuzzy, and it wasn't clearly quickly enough for her tastes.

"You collapsed at school, Makino. Don't you remember?" Nishikado answered. He, Mimasaka, and Rui had just come in the room. Memories slammed back into Tsukushi's head. She had felt funny all day. She remembered arguing with Domyoji and kicking at him. There! The last thing she could remember was her heart hurting and not being able to breathe well.

"Where am I now?" She moved her head around on the pillow beneath it and saw the room contained various machines, a heart monitor, an IV stand, etc.

"The hospital," answered Rui this time.

"It's the same one that you and Tsukasa were in after that jerk Junpei attacked you," Mimasaka added.

"Enough questions, Tsukushi! You should get some rest!" insisted Yuki. By looking in her eyes, Tsukushi could tell that her best friend was happy to see her awake, but she was still upset that Tsukushi was in the hospital. Tsukushi was also becoming increasingly aware of the oxygen tube under her nose. It agitated her. In fact, the whole fact that she was in a hospital again agitated her. She didn't like being here; it brought back old memories.

"Does anyone know what happened?" asked Tsukushi.

"Not yet. The doctors were waiting for you to wake up before they started running some tests on you," said Yuki. "Oh I hope it's just exhaustion or something! You always work yourself too hard, Tsukushi!" Tsukushi smiled. It made her happy to see that Yuki was still worrying too much about her. Things seemed to be happening too fast so seeing something she was used to was wonderful. Smiling pained her chapped, dry lips. How long had she been asleep? She looked around for a glass of something, anything, to drink.

"What do you need, Tsukushi? Just tell me and I'll get it for you!" pestered Kazuya.

"Water, please?" she said. Kazuya raced off. There were a few moments of silence following his departure. Mimasaka, who had disappeared without her noticing, came back in with 2 chairs, which he and Nishikado preceded to place next to her bed. Now there were enough chairs for everyone in the room.

"Makino…" Nishikado started. She turned to face him. He seemed to be struggling to find the right words. She raised her eyebrows expectantly.

"Well, you haven't been doing anything stupid have you?" he asked bluntly.

"What! No! Of course I haven't! I don't have the time or the money to do anything stupid!" Tsukushi was angry that he would even _think_ to suggest something like that. Of course, getting excited made her heart hurt and she was soon inhaling her air through teeth clenched from pain. Naturally her friends rushed to her closest side to see if she wanted a doctor to come in. A few seconds passed and the pain receded. She alleviated their immediate worries with a shake of her head.

"Um, could you guys leave?" requested Yuki. "I want to talk to Tsukushi alone." Glances were exchanged.

"Oh, its just girl-talk and stuff like that. You wouldn't be interested in it!" assured Yuki, trying hard to convince the boys to leave.

"Alright, well, we'll visit tomorrow, Makino," said Mimasaka, the others nodding in agreement and waving as they walked out of the room. Yuki shut the door and quietly walked back, sitting down in the chair closest to the head of bed. Tsukushi watched her. When Yuki finally locked eyes with her hospitalized friend, Tsukushi saw a rare unreadable expression. Usually, you could tell what Yuki was thinking from her face as easily as you could get information from reading a book. Finally Yuki spoke.

"They're just worried about you, Tsukushi. I think this whole situation might even scare them a little. They're used to seeing you strong and stubborn. There aren't too many people who have seen any of your sides besides that one. I've seen them, and I'm still scared out of my mind. Can you imagine how they feel?" Tsukushi stared at her friend. Speaking of sides, how often did one get to see Yuki's stern, lecturing side? A grin slowly spread onto Yuki's face though.

"I probably shouldn't tell you this, but Domyoji, even though he wasn't here just now, was probably the most worried of all." Tsukushi felt a faint blush spread to her pale cheeks. "I arrived a few minutes before he left. He really does care about you, Tsukushi. He had the most concerned look on his face. Nishikado and the others told me that he carried you all the way to the hospital. He wouldn't even wait for the ambulance!" Yuki paused to laugh. "You should have seen Kazuya! He was so worked up when he heard that! I think it really worries Domyoji most of all to see you like this. I think he's always scared to death whenever he thinks he might loose you."

Tsukushi sighed loudly, turning her head to stare at the ceiling. She raised a hand to her face and covered it. She knew how Domyoji felt about her, though she still tried to deny it. He had told her that he loved her several times. She just couldn't bring herself to accept his feelings. Moving her hand away, she turned back to Yuki.

"When did you get so observant?" she asked. Yuki smiled and laughed.

"Well, it's from all the time at work with you!" Both girls laughed. Then Yuki kept her promise to Nishikado and changed the conversation to more girlish topics. They both commented on Kazuya's disappearance. Just where _did_ he go to get that water anyways? An hour passed. To his disappointment, Kazuya arrived just as visiting hours ended. Apparently he got lost looking for water. Twice. Her two friends promised to come visit her again the next day. After they left, Tsukushi was left bored. There was nothing to do in her room, not even another patient to talk to. There was a TV, but she didn't feel like watching it. It seemed awkward in her mind for her not to be up doing something or working. Tsukushi, given her family circumstances, had never been one to just sit and waste time very well. It took some time, but she eventually fell asleep, machine's humming softly in the background.

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The next day, doctors and nurses moved her from one test to another. It was exhausting. All of it served to reaffirm her dislike of hospitals. By the time she was back in her room, Yuki and Rui were already waiting for her. Apparently Nishikado and Mimasaka were also around, but in her absence they had spotted some girls and were being themselves. Tsukushi felt like she should be upset, because wasn't she the reason they were here? She wasn't though. In truth she was relieved. They were just two less people in the room to make her feel more like the invalid she was. Once she was settled and comfortable in her bed again, she asked Yuki if her parents had been by. 

"No, they haven't stopped by more than the first day. You would be proud of them though, Tsukushi! Because you're in the hospital, they're working harder than they ever have before to find better, decent jobs! They did say they'd stop by again later tonight if they could or tomorrow."

"So, have they told you anything yet, Makino?" asked Rui. Tsukushi shook her head.

"No, I just finished my last test. They told me I'll know by tomorrow definitely, but they might even know enough to tell me something tonight." And that was that. They turned the conversation towards other things. Rui tried to entertain her with stories about stupid things Domyoji had done at school that day. The stories were supplemented with comments from Nishikado and Mimasaka when they came back. According to them, Domyoji walked around in a daze at school, making a complete fool out of himself at some points. Domyoji as a topic made Tsukushi blush, so before anyone could pick up on it and tease her for it, she changed the topic. She asked if Nishikado and Mimasaka if they were successful in their hunt around the hospital for women.

"Of course! Who do you think we are? Look, digits and all!" Both boys pulled out a few slips of paper each with lines of numbers written down. Yuki then changed the topic and told her an amusing story about a customer who had come into the Dango shop last night. It made Tsukushi happy to have something to do, people to talk to. They talked for hours. At one point Tsukushi received her hospital dinner tray. Everyone in the room was disgusting by it, so Yuki and Nishikado went together down to the cafeteria to buy something better for everyone. When they returned, everyone ate while still poking fun at the hospital food. All too soon, visiting hours were over, even for the rich, and Tsukushi's friends had to leave.

"Oh!" Yuki gasped as she was leaving. She went back over to the bed and presented Tsukushi with a bag.

"These are for you. I thought you might be bored with no one around. I'll see you tomorrow." Yuki waved as she ran out the door to catch up with the others. Tsukushi curiously opened the bag. Inside were several magazines and several of Tsukushi's¬ Hana Yori Dango manga volumes. Had Yuki still been in the room, Tsukushi would have been singing her praises. At one point, the nurse had to come back into Tsukushi's room to make her turn off the lights and get some sleep, threatening to take away her reading material. As she drifted off to sleep, her mind dragged her back through the events of the day. The last thing she thought before she fell asleep was Domyoji. Yuki had told her that he was the most worried for her out of all her friends, so why hadn't he visited her yet?

What Tsukushi was unaware of was the fact that as she was drifting off to sleep, Domyoji was lying in his large bed staring at the ceiling. Why couldn't he bring himself to visit Tsukushi? His friends all scolded him for it. They told him that he was being heartless. In truth, he was slightly scared to see Tsukushi in the hospital. He was used to her constantly being around to nag him; weak didn't suit her. He had almost had a heart attack when Nishikado came running to him about her fainting. After chastising himself properly, he decided that no matter what, he'd go to see her tomorrow. He'd even skip school to do it.

* * *

The next morning, Tsukushi woke up late to a knock on her door. At the second knock she was fully awake and called her visitor in. Her main doctor walked in and shut the door behind him. Tsukushi stiffened. 

"Makino-san, we have the results of yesterday's tests. Would you like us to call a family member or friend to be with you before we tell you? Would you prefer to hear the results alone?" the doctor asked. Tsukushi looked down at her blankets. Would it be easier for everyone to hear it, or for her to tell them in her own words? Or more importantly, if it was something horrible, would she be able to tell them at all? The doctor was patient. He waited without a word or any sort of impatient motion for her to answer. After a few minutes of thinking Tsukushi looked up.

"I think I'd rather hear the results alone." Unknown to her, Domyoji was on his way down the hall at that exact moment. He even brought flowers for her. The doctor took a deep breath and started.

"You mentioned that your heart hurt and you were having trouble breathing. Your heart has a virus. It's beating irregularly and it's not delivering oxygen around your body properly." Domyoji's hand touched the door knob and turned it. He opened the door in time to here the last of the results.

"Your heart is failing, Makino-san. Without a transplant, you probably won't live even another six months."

-End of Chapter Two-

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Okay, everyone! This is the end of chapter two! I hope you enjoyed it. I know I said that I might not post up if I get bogged down with work, but I didn't expect it to happen right after the first chapter! Long story short, I had lots of work and at one point in this chapter I just couldn't get the part to sound right, and I keep going back to change it. I'll try to be better next chapter! 

¬I know, haha, she's reading her own story, right? In the story, shortly after Kazuya shows up, Tsukushi gets sick with a fever. For those of you who've never noticed, while she's recovering at home, she's reading manga…_her_ manga! Specifically, she's reading the part where she throws up on Domyoji's suit as Shizuka's party! No wonder she's laughing her ass off!

◙Also, I forgot to mention this in the first chapter's notes, but if there is something you would like to see happen, let me know. I'm always trying to think of different things I could have happen. Anyways, just let me know, and I see what I can do about trying to fit it into the story.


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